Living Monuments - Romans 12:1-2 Sermon by Robert White

 

Living Monuments - Romans 12:1-2

Heavenly Father, We come before You tonight in awe of Your mercy and grace. You are the God who takes what is broken and makes it whole, who takes what is ordinary and makes it holy. Lord, as we open Your Word, remind us that You are not calling us to mere improvement but to transformation.

Teach us what it means to be a living sacrifice — to lay down our will, our pride, and our comfort at Your feet. Renew our minds, O Lord. Strip away the world’s patterns that so easily mold us, and shape us into the image of Christ.

Let this time not be just another sermon, but a sacred encounter with You. Speak through Your Word, and by Your Spirit convict, challenge, and change us.
May we leave here not conformed to this world, but renewed, refined, and ready to stand as living monuments of Your grace.

In Jesus’ mighty name we pray, Amen.

Introduction

Last time we discussed Passing the Torch from the book of Joshua. We saw how Israel built monuments so that future generations would be reminded of what God had done. We were challenged by scripture to “pick up the stones” and build monuments for the next generation.

For me the question arises how do I mold my life into a monument for God and how does our church become a monument in Athens for Christ?
When I was preparing for my last sermon—and for the ones I’ll be preaching in the coming weeks—I could have never imagined what would happen over the last month. As I was putting the final touches on my message from Joshua, I heard the heartbreaking news that Charlie Kirk had been assassinated.

Charlie Kirk was a man I respected and followed. Over the past few years, I had come to deeply admire him—not just for his convictions, but for how he had grown. He had matured from someone who simply wanted to debate, into someone who sought genuine, valuable conversation and civil discourse.

If you know me, you know that I love a good debate. I enjoy discussing ideas and engaging in meaningful dialogue. But what stood out to me about Charlie Kirk in these last few years was that he learned how to speak truth with love. He was unafraid to stand for what was right, yet he did it with grace.

From what I observed, every time Charlie spoke on a campus or at an event, he made it clear that his faith in Jesus Christ was the best thing that had ever happened to him. He often said that his faith dictated his politics, not the other way around. That conviction is rare—and it’s powerful.

In the days since his passing, I’ve heard other men—like Ben Shapiro and others—say that they will “raise up the blood-stained microphone” and carry the torch of Charlie Kirk. That is admirable. But I want to make something very clear: if anyone is truly going to carry that torch, they must believe in Jesus Christ and preach Jesus Christ. Without Him, there is no light in the torch to carry. That was the foundation of Charlie Kirk’s life and message.

 I will be honest Charlie’s death made this question even more real as I thinking through these things. While reading through my regular studies I found Paul gives us the answer in Romans 12. We must first understand where he comes from. He has just laid out the deep theology of sin, salvation, sanctification, and sovereignty in chapters 1–11, Paul now turns to service—the practical Christian life what should mine and your life look like to point other to Christ. Romans 12 verses 1 and 2 begin to answer the question: How do I mold my life into a monument for God?

Paul starts his discussion on how we should live considering the truths he has taught throughout the rest of this letter. Chapter 12 is the launching point into service and a transition from knowing truth to living them. This chapter is where every Christian should begin if we understand the truths in the first 11 chapters.

Commitment to God (vv. 1–2)

Being a living monument is key and is something last time in Joshua we all agreed we wanted to do. We are at a hard stop now, because no matter how much we try to lead and direct others we will not do it successfully until we attempt to live it out first. Paul starts by explaining that before we can impact others, we must surrender ourselves.

Sacrifice – “Present your bodies a living sacrifice” (v. 1).

1. Sacrifice – “Present your bodies a living sacrifice” (v. 1).

Paul starts this chapter by saying “I beseech you.” Paul, as an apostle, could have said “I command you,” however, he chose the word “beseech.” The Greek word is παρακαλέω (parakaleō). It means: to call alongside, to urge, to appeal, to exhort, to encourage, even to comfort. In our English Bibles, “beseech” carries the idea of a passionate plea or strong urging—not a cold command, but a heartfelt appeal. Paul could have said, “I command you by the authority of Christ,” but instead he appeals to love, not law. He’s saying, “I urge you, I beg you, I’m pleading with you because of God’s mercy, surrender your life to Him.” It’s like a father gently but earnestly urging his child to make the right choice.

               Think of yourself as a parent and times that you beg your child to do what is right, begging them to see the truth of good choices. The whole time knowing they will make their decision for themselves, knowing that you know the best route, but they must trust you that it is right. They have such limited understanding or viewpoint, so you are begging them to trust what you know so they do not feel the pain and heartache you have felt. This is much of what Paul is saying here.

The next statement is “therefore”—meaning, because of sin, salvation, sanctification, and sovereignty, do this.

By what power? By the mercies of God—the same mercies that drew us to salvation, the mercies that kept us from hell. Just as salvation and every other step of our Christian walk is not by our own power and strength, so this is not by our own power and strength. We must yet again rely on the one who has done it all.

We should present ourselves—not a lamb, not a brother, not the fruit of the field, but ourselves.

As a living sacrifice. Not like false religions that gave dead human sacrifices to their gods, but a living sacrifice. This means I put my will, hopes, and dreams into God’s hands. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God.” When I consider this idea of a living sacrifice, I think of something we all say so often. Look at those you love around this room or think of those who you love who are still living, each of us would likely say I would die for you, I would take a bullet for you. That is admirable, but I would say what Christ is asking of us is even more admirable. In most cases He is not asking us to walk up to the leader of ISIS and say I serve Christ, no instead He is asking day in and day out you live for Him.

Because of the last 11 chapters, Paul now beseeches us—he begs us—to present ourselves. No one else can do this for us and no one can force us into it. Now Paul explains how we present our life, it must be holy and acceptable.

The word holy means set apart—justified by God. Acceptable means pleasing to Him. In the Old Testament, the sacrifices had to be perfect to be accepted. Wow, that is a big ask right? How can you or I be perfect?

If you’ve never read and experienced the first 11 chapters, then you likely do not understand how to be perfect. Each of us must have first worked through those truths. I will ask you before you move on have you come to the realization that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), have you ever been justified, ever been sanctified? If the answer is no then you cannot present yourself as a living sacrifice.  It is impossible. Ephesians reminds us if we have not come to this realization the we are “dead in our trespasses and sins” and in Isaish 64:6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags…” Before we can offer ourselves to God, we must first receive Christ as Savior. A dead thing cannot be living sacrifice or a living monument. If you have not done this, I beseech you to today.

To put yourself as a living sacrifice means to lay yourself on the altar. And here’s the interesting thing: a living sacrifice can get off and on this alter. It is a conscious daily decision, you are not being forced into this place, but you are choosing to stay surrendered.

D.L. Moody once said: “The problem with a living sacrifice is that it keeps crawling off the altar.” This is why daily and sometime every moment surrender is necessary.

Paul goes on to say this is our “reasonable service.” At the very least, it’s not an outrageous request, it’s reasonable. Christ was willing to fully live and die for us, so it is reasonable that we would live for Him.

Think of it like this. We all have seen a caterpillar and would think it is an amazing creature as all creatures are, but we also must understand a caterpillar is destined to sacrifice itself fully so it can become what it is truly meant to be. It will completely dissolve inside its cocoon before it can become a butterfly. What looks like death brings new life. That is what it means to be a living sacrifice, when we give ourselves fully to God, He transforms us into something new and beautiful. We can only live a truly fulfilled life by allowing this life die to be sacrifice to God. I mean who wants to miss out on being a butterfly.

Jim Elliot reflects this same sentiment “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”. It would be foolish for a caterpillar to resist becoming butterfly so would it be foolish for us to resist becoming a living sacrifice as we will lose this life. Think about it. We cannot sustain or extend this life one moment longer than God allows. If we could, I know each of us can think of people we would have given time off our own life to have one more minute or hour with them. Understanding this, explains why giving yourself to God is not foolish; it’s the wisest and most reasonable thing you could ever do.

A reasonable ask from my wife is to bring her a drink home when I’m passing by Sonic is a reasonable request and is something I should be happy to do for all she does for me and for me to express my love to her. In the same way I should be happy and want to express my love for Christ by presenting myself as a living sacrifice, this too is also a reasonable ask 

II. Separation – Be Not Conformed (v. 2a)

Paul instructs: “And be not conformed to this world.”

To be conformed is to be molded by outside forces. Spiritually if we are conformed to this world, we are allowing our thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors to be shaped by the world into a pattern of their choosing rather than by God and his pattern.

John MacArthur: “Worldliness is not so much about outward behavior as it is about the mindset that lies behind it. It is thinking like the world thinks—values, ambitions, and perspectives that leave God out.”

All too often we live our life making sure we avoided “big sins”, but this is not enough. When you consider great men or women in History it is not those who stayed in the middle ground. They did more, they stood out or separated from their peers because they did more. Paul call us to this as well, he challenges the heart and the mold it is made after. When we read scripture, when we listen to a message from His word it should be like a mirror to reflect on us our thoughts, attitudes and behaviors. In that reflection we see the mold laid out in the Bible so we can clearly see how we fit into it, if we do.

If we are not to “be not conformed” has the idea of being separate from the world, it should bring to consideration questions like:

Do we treat others differently than the world does?

Do we gossip, cheat, or lie like those around us?

Do we fight among ourselves, while the world watches and shakes its head?

Jesus said in John 13:35: “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” Love is our mold, it is the thing that causes us to be separated from the world, everything we do should be driven by love.

The idea of separation from the world does not mean isolation but insulation. Neither Paul nor I am calling us to be a nun, monk, or even many in our own circle who will attempt to live a compound life that has them fully isolated from this world. Instead, we are separated in the sense of a well-insulated house, we stay warm and light-filled in a cold world without letting the cold creep in.

Once we have become a living sacrifice and separated ourselves from the world, we next must be sanctified.

III. Sanctification Be Transformed by Renewal (v. 2b)

Paul writes, “But be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

We have already been told what not to do—“Be not conformed to this world.” Now Paul tells us what to do instead—“Be transformed.”

Those two words describe two very different kinds of shaping. To keep it simple think of it like this.

To be conformed is to be shaped from the outside in.

To be transformed is to be changed from the inside out.

Conformity happens by pressure; transformation happens by presence—the presence of the Holy Spirit working within us.

The Greek word Paul uses for “transformed” is metamorphoō—the same root word used for “metamorphosis.” It describes the beautiful, miraculous change of a caterpillar into a butterfly which we already spoke to. That’s a picture of sanctification. God doesn’t just improve us—He remakes us. He doesn’t polish up the old; He creates something new.

This transformation begins at salvation but continues throughout our lifetime. It’s the ongoing process of sanctification—where the Spirit of God renews our minds, reshapes our desires, and reforms our character until Christ is fully formed in us.

Dr. John Phillips once said: “Sanctification is not the work of a moment, but the work of a lifetime. Each day the Spirit of God seeks to make us more like Christ, chiseling away the old and shaping the new.”

That’s what God is doing in you—chiseling, shaping, refining. Every day He is renewing your thoughts through His Word. Every time you worship, pray, and obey, the Holy Spirit does His quiet, transforming work.

The Word of God is not meant to fill our heads but to renew our hearts.

Paul says this renewal happens in the mind. That’s because the mind is the battlefield of the Christian life. If the enemy can control how you think, he can control how you live. But when God renews your mind through His truth, you begin to see everything differently—your trials, your purpose, your identity, and your future.

2 Corinthians 3:18 says: “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

When we behold His glory, we become what we behold. The more time you spend in His presence, the more you reflect His likeness.

Transformation is not an instant leap but a lifelong journey. It’s not perfection—it’s progress in the right direction. And as your mind is renewed, your life begins to prove something powerful to the world.

Showcase – Prove God’s Will (v. 2c)

Paul continues: “…that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

When your mind is renewed, when your heart is surrendered, when your life is transformed—something incredible happens: your life becomes proof that God’s will is real, good, and worth following.

The word “prove” here means to test and demonstrate something genuine—like a goldsmith testing the purity of precious metal. God’s will is not discovered in theory but demonstrated in obedience.

John MacArthur said: “The greatest testimony to the truth of Christianity is not argument but a transformed life. The will of God becomes visible when believers live in obedience.”

You and I become living evidence that God’s plan works.
When you forgive someone who doesn’t deserve it, you’re proving that God’s will is merciful.
When you love your enemies, you’re proving His grace.
When you choose purity in a corrupt culture, you’re proving His holiness.
When you remain joyful in sorrow, you’re proving His strength.

Paul describes God’s will in three ways—good, acceptable, and perfect.

It’s good—because it flows from the heart of a good God.

It’s acceptable—because it pleases Him and brings peace to us.

It’s perfect—because it’s complete, mature, and lacking nothing.

God’s will isn’t something we fear; it’s something we prove by how we live.

May this quote by D.L Moody be our mantra for this life.

“The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to Him. By God’s help, I aim to be that man.”

That’s the challenge for each of us—to be that person. A man, a woman, a student, a leader, fully surrendered to God’s transforming power—living proof that His will is not only right but rewarding.

You don’t have to be perfect to prove God’s will—you just have to be available. When the world sees a heart yielded to Christ, it sees the goodness of God in motion.

So let’s live as living sacrifices, renewed in our minds, transformed by His Spirit, and walking daily as proof that God’s will is good, acceptable, and perfect.

Because at the end of the day, your life is the sermon that people will remember.
You are the showcase of His grace.
You are the living evidence that God still transforms hearts today.

And so, beloved, after all is said—after Paul has called us to sacrifice, to separation, and to sanctification—we come to this: the call to stand. A call to be the monument that stands all that is thrown at it in this life. A transformed life will stand in contrast to what is around it.

A transformed life is not just about personal holiness; it’s about public witness. The world is watching. Heaven is watching. And in these last days, God is raising up believers who will not bend to the world’s pattern, but who will prove by their lives that His will is good, acceptable, and perfect.

We live in a world that celebrates compromise, but God calls us to conviction. The world says “conform,” but God says “be transformed.” The world says “go along,” but Christ says “stand firm.”

There’s a time to be silent—and there’s a time to speak, to stand, to resolve within our hearts that we will not surrender our faith or our calling.

It reminds me of the voice of one of history’s great leaders—Winston Churchill—who in the darkest hour of war rallied a nation with words that still stir the human spirit. His famous declaration still echoes today:

"I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty, if nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves once again able to defend our Island home, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone. At any rate, that is what we are going to try to do. That is the resolve of His Majesty’s Government-every man of them. That is the will of Parliament and the nation. The British Empire and the French Republic, linked together in their cause and in their need, will defend to the death their native soil, aiding each other like good comrades to the utmost of their strength. Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old." 

Beloved, make no mistake—when Paul wrote Romans 12, he wasn’t describing a peaceful process.
He was describing a battlefield.

If you present yourself as a living sacrifice, the enemy will whisper, “Keep control. You’ve already given enough.”

If you seek to be separate from the world, he’ll say, “Don’t stand out. Blend in. You can still love Jesus quietly.”

If you begin to be transformed, he’ll hiss, “You’ll never change. You’ve failed too many times before.”

And if you start proving God’s will by the way you live, he’ll do everything in his power to make you doubt that it’s good, acceptable, or perfect.

Because Satan fears something far more than your words—

he fears your witness.
He fears a believer who actually lives Romans 12.
He fears a church that will not be conformed to this world but is daily renewed by the Spirit of God.
He fears a people who prove by their lives that God’s will is still good, still acceptable, still perfect.

That’s why the battle of faith is not fought with bullets or bombs—it’s fought in the mind.
The war is waged in what we think, what we believe, and what we allow to shape us.
If the devil can mold your mind, he can mute your mission.
But if Christ renews your mind, your life becomes a living monument that no darkness can tear down.

So tonight, I beseech you, I beg with you, I plead with you to stand firm in the Lord.
Do not crawl off the altar.
Do not bend to the world’s mold.
Do not believe the lie that you cannot change.

Instead— Be the living proof that God’s power still transforms.
Be the evidence that grace still saves.
Be the monument that stands unshaken when the storms rage.

And when the enemy whispers defeat, answer him with resolve:

“I Shall Live by Faith

I have full confidence that if I do my duty, if nothing is neglected, and if I trust in God’s good arrangements—as He is working all things together for my good—I shall prove myself able to stand firm in the Lord, to endure the storms of trial, and to outlast the menace of sin and temptation, if necessary for years, if necessary alone.

At any rate, that is what I am called to do. That is my resolve as a follower of Christ. That is my will as a child of God. For though many around me may fall into the grip of darkness and the power of this present evil age, I shall not flag or fail.

I shall go on to the end.
I shall live for Christ in my home.
I shall live for Christ in my work.
I shall live for Christ with growing faith and growing boldness in the Spirit.
I shall proclaim His gospel, whatever the cost may be.
I shall live for Christ in the city.
I shall live for Christ in the village.
I shall live for Christ in the fields and in the streets.
I shall live for Christ in the hills.
I shall never surrender my faith.

And even if—though I do not for a moment believe it—my voice is silenced in one place, the Spirit of God will still carry on the witness through His people until, in God’s good time, Christ Himself steps forth to bring rescue and final victory to the world.

Lord, we have heard Your call tonight — to present ourselves as living sacrifices, to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, and to live as proof that Your will is good, acceptable, and perfect.

Father, help us to stay on the altar when life tempts us to crawl away. Help us to stand firm when the world pressures us to conform. And help us to shine brightly when darkness surrounds us.

Make our lives living monuments of Your power — unshaken by storms, unwavering in faith, and unmistakably Yours.
Let our homes, our work, and our witness reflect Your glory. May others see in us the evidence that Jesus still transforms hearts today.

And when the enemy whispers defeat, remind us that the battle belongs to You — and in Christ, we have already overcome.

We thank You for Your mercy, Your patience, and Your promise to finish the good work You have begun in us. We pray all these things in the name of our Savior and soon-coming King, Jesus Christ. Amen.